My Strategy to Make $85,000 Per Month with a Niche Newsletter
We've picked a million dollar niche...NOW what??
Read BIP #1 here: https://www.theautopreneur.co/p/is-it-too-late-to-start-a-newsletter
Picking a Million Dollar Niche.
During my initial research phase, I found 3 interesting niches that are all interconnected with each other.
Homesteading:
Pros: Trending upward on macro interest level. People are sick of the system and looking for more control over their health, career, and finances. Positive, raving fan community found everywhere on social media.
Cons: Difficult barrier to entry. Mostly requires capital, time, and passion to want this type of lifestyle. Increase in responsibilities.
Off-Grid Lifestyle:
Pros: Increase in affordable, sustainable technology to help you cut the cord. Gives you a sense of resiliency and rebelliousness. Huge search demand within SEO traffic & organic social media content.
Cons: Not legal in every state. Transitioning to off-grid can get expensive quickly, as well as requires a “less-comfort” mindset.
Gardening:
Pros: Requires almost no capital, land, or time to get started. Plethora of content ideas & information to repurpose. Massive community of people leading by example.
Cons: Large competition, difficult to “stand out” or be unique. Very seasonal search volume depending on the location of audience.
Picking any of these allows me to scratch my own itch.
Which is rule #1 when starting a business online.
Never under any circumstances start a business that you have no interest in pursuing. Otherwise you’re just trading a job you hate for a business (with more jobs) you hate.
You should at the very least have an interest in the thing your going to put out to the world. Next level would be having some skills or experience in the thing too. This isn’t required, as anyone can learn along the way (why I love reading about build in public style content), but your interests will pull you toward your goals on those grueling days you just don’t have it in you.
Let’s take a look at these 3 micro-niches, and find the synergies:
Homesteading + Off-Grid = A way to break free from societal structures.
Gardening + Off-Grid = Learning essential survival skills & emergency preparedness.
Gardening + Homesteading = Control over your labor and long term preservation.
So what’s the Core Philosophy?
Self-Reliance.
The most important skill in our human experience.
This topic itself is broad enough to not “box me in” when pumping out content and getting traction.
But it is small enough that it only speaks to a very specific audience…
A community of people who support each other.
How do I know this?
Because I’m part of this community.
It’s been a mission of mine since 2020 to learn essential skills like home construction, woodworking, growing my own food, sustainable energy resources, and creating my own income.
Scratching my own itch.
Becoming Self-Reliant.
Choose a Different Way of Life.
After researching a ton of social media channels, I spent about 30 minutes typing in business names into GoDaddy’s domain search.
I settled on Alternative-Living.com
A solid name for a website, with very common search strings, and one that could easily be turned into a physical newsletter product or magazine in the future.
The name encompasses the entire Venn Diagram above.
It could also easily be niched downward if needed OR expanded outward to include things like one-person business ownership, farming, prepping & survival, tiny homes, and really anything that leans against the social norms most people fall victim to.
So now we’ve established:
A micro-niche with high demand.
A growing community that spends money & supports itself.
Variety in the topics, platforms, and styles of content.
The ability to drive traffic organically & with paid strategies.
A 5 year upward trend with no signs of slowing down.
We’ve identified our success markers.
Now how are we going to make any money with this?
My $85,000 per month newsletter strategy.
“Ryan, what is the point of starting a newsletter?”
I dunno…
One of the greatest investments you can make is starting a personal brand.
The second greatest investment?
Starting a newsletter.
Imagine having an email list of 50,000 targeted fans (and buyers).
A list of people who Know, Like, and Trust you.
A tangible business asset that YOU own.
Here’s my preliminary strategy to $85,000+ per month:
Tactic #1 - Use my personal brand to help kickstart some traffic
When you’re brand new, you should do anything and everything to get your name out there. Talk to literally everybody about what you’re up to.
Fortunately I’ve been building my personal brand for 17 months now.
I’ve currently got an audience of:
13,000 on LinkedIn
450 on Twitter
205 on YouTube
624 on The Autopreneur
And while it won’t be a significant boost, it’s still valuable attention.
I’ll use the gold I’m sitting on today to send traffic over to the Alternative-Living.com
Never underestimate the power of targeted distribution and networking. Whether it be your own list or someone else’s, the real value lies in the quality of the audience you’re talking to..
Strategy Tactic #2 - Get Attention…Quickly
Here’s 20 different organic tactics you can use to build your email list without paying for ads:
Lead Magnets: Use lead magnets to convert a small audience into subscribers. Promote them through social media posts, DMs, and other channels. Good lead magnets provide immediate value, solve a narrow problem, and are quick to consume.
Pre and Post-CTAs: Use pre-CTAs to build anticipation for your newsletter and post-CTAs to promote it after publication.
New Follower Auto DMs: Send automated DMs to new followers to promote your newsletter.
Cold Email Warm Contacts: Email your existing contacts to inform them about your newsletter and encourage them to subscribe.
Referral Programs: Set up a simple referral program to encourage subscribers to refer others.
Cross-Promotions & Recommendations: Partner with other newsletters for cross-promotions and recommendations to grow your subscriber base.
Ask for Shares: Encourage subscribers to forward your newsletter to friends.
Build Relationships: Establish relationships with other creators to gain opportunities for promotion and growth.
Partner Giveaways: Collaborate with other newsletters to host giveaways that require users to subscribe.
Be a Podcast Guest: Appear on podcasts to talk about your newsletter and get more subscribers.
Guest Posts in Newsletters: Write guest posts in other newsletters to reach new audiences.
Link to Your Content: Ask other newsletters to link to your content, driving more traffic to your newsletter.
Content Syndication: Partner with blogs or media companies to republish your content for more exposure.
Online Communities: Join relevant online communities and share your expertise to attract subscribers.
Reddit Strategy: Engage on Reddit to organically gain newsletter subscribers.
Website Email Capture: Optimize your website with multiple email capture forms to convert visitors into subscribers.
Quora Strategy: Answer questions on Quora related to your expertise and link to your newsletter.
Repurpose Content for SEO: Turn newsletter content into SEO-optimized articles.
Product Hunt Launch: Launch your newsletter on Product Hunt to quickly gain subscribers.
Creative Promotions: Use unique strategies like billboard backpacks or milestone giveaways to promote your newsletter.
Since this is a side project…and not my main business venture…
I’ll need to narrow it down to a few key plays. Tactics that use high leverage for an insane ROI.
Cross Promos - This will be through newsletter shares, JV deals, and paying other influencers in the space to send traffic. Substack recommendations will be a great play here…especially in this unique space. I don’t see too many influencers writing on substack in this niche, there’s an ocean of opportunity to dominate this platform.
Organic Video Content - I’ve already started posting short form Instagram Reels on my page, and repurposing over on YT Shorts and TikTok. Funny enough, my last two TikToks posts have already been getting a ton of likes and views.
FB + Instagram Ads - This is self explanatory. But will need to create a unique PAS style VSL or simple ad that offers a lead magnet to acquire the lead. I’ve studied newsletter funnels and a lot of them are running paid traffic directly to a blog article or Substack post that offers the free valuable information, and then has the “Sign Up for the Newsletter” plastered around it.
Mini Documentaries & Stories - This is more of a “style” of content vs an actual traffic source…but from my research it’s the best way to generate high CTR and grow the audience. I’m in love with channels that show other people living simpler lifestyles. Tapping into another influencer’s audience by documenting their journey on our site, makes the “creative” side of content an easier lift.
Now we’ve got the tactics and the sources…
Let’s talk money.
Strategy Tactic #3 - Hybrid Newsletter Monetization
Here’s how the Hybrid Model works:
Send 2-3 newsletters per week.
I’ll initially start with 1x week until my systems are running smoothly. But the goal will be to schedule on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
On the journey, I’ll affiliate helpful products to generate some light revenue.
Around 5,000 subs…I’ll sell 1 sponsorship spot in each newsletter issue.
Newsletters like this are more niche, therefore the audience is of high quality. They usually command a higher sponsorship rate.
Around 10,000 subs…I’ll create a low-priced course or product.
Earning between $99-$250 per sale would be ideal. This price range is low enough to drive impulse buys, and high enough to cover my ad costs.
Money Math:
At 100,000 subscribers and a 50% open rate, you can sell newsletter sponsorships for $2,500 each ($50 CPM).
If we sell 1 sponsorship in each newsletter at that rate, that’s $32,500 per month in recurring sponsorship revenue.
If we convert 2.5% of subscribers into $250 customers (2,500), that’s $52,000 per month in course revenue.
Total monthly revenue = $85,500.00
The first goal is a list of 1,000 subscribers.
And if you’re a subscriber then you’ll be getting everything from me:
Monthly Revenue Reports
Advanced Tactics
Failures
Wins
Data
We’re finally here.
The last 7 weeks of preparation now places us in position to win.
We’re getting a head start.
This won’t be easy…
And I’m expecting turbulence along the way.
But the best part?
You’re with me for the ride.
Time > Everything
Did you miss the last deep dive? Read it here:
Solid tips. Sounds like Mother Earth Magazine on steroids.
Love this Ryan and rooting for you!
"At 100,000 subscribers and a 50% open rate" this seems high but achievable. I find as my subs increase, my open rate goes down. I started with a 65% open rate, and now I'm below 50%